Thursday, March 25, 2010

Controversy over the archaeology of Jerusalem

THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF JERUSALEM and the controversies surrounding it are treated by Reuters:
Researchers Dig up Controversy in Jerusalem

By Erika Solomon
March 24, 2010

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Archaeologists in Jerusalem are competing to unearth artifacts pointing to the ancient city's Jewish past, which are used to justify Israel's claim to all of it as the indivisible capital of the modern Jewish state.

But critics say some of "finds" are really just bending science to prove a "Biblical heritage" that is open to dispute.

"Archaeologists have given up many of their best practices in order to answer the continuing demands of mainly political actors," says Raphael Greenberg, an Israeli archaeologist from Tel Aviv University, who has worked in Jerusalem.

[...]
Some of the major players are interviewed to give their side.